Three men have been arrested following an attempted burglary at a supermarket in Adlington, say police.

A Police Sergeant was patrolling near to the Co-op supermarket on Bolton Road at around 3.45am on Monday, October 16 when he came across several men behaving suspiciously.

Further investigations revealed that the men appeared to be attempting to break into the rear of the shop using power tools.

Police say the men tried to leave the scene in a VW Golf which then collided with the sergeant's police car. The men were then forced to make-off on foot.

A spokesman for the police said: "Whilst patrolling the area Sergeant Maltman came across three men who were in the process of breaking into the rear of the shop using power tools.

"As they were disturbed they tried to leave in a vehicle that subsequently collided with the Sergeant's vehicle.

"The men then ran over fences and into the village."

An extensive police search was carried out using the police helicopter and three men were later tracked down at another address.

A 27-year-old man of no fixed abode has been arrested on suspicion of theft from a vehicle; a 26-year-old man of no fixed abode has been arrested on suspicion of theft and and a 35-year-old man from Wigan has been arrested on suspicion of going equipped.